Creative Statement
“The art I create lives and breathes as I do; be it a digital animation or rooted in earth-sourced materials like paper and charcoal, the work I create takes on its own personality, just as a human does over time. If the being houses a soul, so to do the individual stones that actively commune with one another to form a mountain – it is for these very human actions and characteristics, or lack thereof, that can be found either far in between or within the most mundane and complex of objects, of things that silently respire. That is why I draw – the human can speak, but the body itself, these stones that only when brought together form a mountain, are incapable of doing so, at least without assistance. I work to tell the stories that would otherwise remain untold.”
“It is in this role as an artist that I then also act as a translator, as when I gaze upon an object or subject, be it in motion or at a standstill, it is my goal to draw out the characteristics being conveyed to me through exaggerations in shapes, patterns, and details that either do or do not appear upon the current focus, at least within the “sane” reality. It is here where I do my best to translate and transfer the life and personality of the “topic” at hand onto paper, albeit with some embellishment, for what is a good story without some dramatizations, whether it be on the more surrealistic and bizarre side of things, or perhaps a call-back to that which is now ancient.”
“Of course, as every creative does, there will come times where I, the artist, must consider whether the current work truly captures the sought-after vision, especially when it regards my goal, which I have previously described. In this case, I must view my own work – not the aspect of it that is alive, but rather the new creation that springs forth from a page or screen, as being naturally connected to the land. As terrain gradually shuffles across centuries, so too does my work, although at a much faster pace. When this does occur to me, I see it as not meaning that the art itself is a failure, but rather that the entity being “recorded” has thought it an inaccurate representation, and so changes need to be made, whether that be through medium or principle."
